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Four-Day Workweek’s Overwhelming Success

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Throughout the years, governments and employers have been spending loads of effort to improve employees’ work-life balance.

One of the ideas is the four-day workweek that has been around for years even before the pandemic started. It is in which workers work fewer numbers of hours or days while still being paid the same amount. This concept is starting to gain international attention. In fact, some countries have started experimenting with it, one of which is Iceland.

Click the article and read how the four-day workweek experiment turned out in Iceland.

https://www.bbc.com/news/business-57724779

Discussion Questions:

  1. What is your reaction and thoughts on this news? What does it mean for all workers around the world?
  2. How did the four-day workweek experiment turn out in Iceland?
  3. Do you think a four-day workweek at your office would affect your productivity?
  4. What are some effects of a good work-life balance?
  5. Do you think a four-day workweek will become the norm in the future? Why or why not?

New Blood Test May Be Able to Detect Cancer

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Researchers have announced a major breakthrough for cancer patients that could help detect common and frequent cancer forms including lung, breast, colon, and stomach cancer. The main goal of this new blood test is to help patients detect cancer at an early stage so they can be treated accordingly and immediately.

Getting the right treatment quickly can help patients avoid further complications. Could this promising medical breakthrough really find signs and symptoms of cancer even before they become a problem?

https://www.english-online.at/news-articles/health-medicine/new-blood-test-may-be-able-to-detect-cancer.htm

Discussion Questions:

  1. What can CancerSEEK  do? Despite the promising results, what problems do they still need to deal with?
  2. How can CancerSEEK affect the lives of cancer patients?
  3. What can you say about the healthcare facilities and services dedicated to oncology in your city/country? How innovative are the hospitals in your country when it comes to cancer treatments?
  4. What other medical breakthroughs in oncology do you know of?

How Billionaires Avoid Paying Federal Income Tax

B2 – Upper Intermediate

We’re all familiar with this principle that “With great power comes great responsibility”. Same goes for wealth. Safe to say, with great wealth comes great financial burdens. One of them is taxes.

Read the article to find out how exactly do billionaires avoid paying federal income tax.

https://www.businessinsider.com/how-billionaires-avoid-paying-federal-income-tax-2021-6

Discusion Questions:

  1. How are wealthy people able to dodge federal income taxes?
  2. What are your thoughts on billionaires getting away with not paying federal income taxes?
  3. What are other ways to avoid paying taxes?

EU Economy Forecast to Rebound Faster

B2 – Upper Intermediate

As the economy reopens and vaccine rollouts continues, Europe is now on its way back to its economic level before the pandemic happened. The EU economy is predicted to bounce back faster compared to previous economic downturns.

Read the article about forecasts on EU’s economic recovery.

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2021/may/12/eu-economy-forecast-rebound-faster-vaccine-covid-coronavirus-europe-economics

Discusion Questions:

  1. What are the driving forces to EU’s economic growth post-pandemic? Discuss each one.
  2. Do you think these forecasts are accurate? Support your point.
  3. How badly has your country’s economy suffered because of the pandemic?
  4. How is your country’s economic recovery going so far?
  5. What are some things that the government’s done to aid businesses from getting hit hard by the economic crisis?
  6. What has your company done to cope with the economic crisis brought about by the pandemic?

Adults Don’t Want Children

B1 – Intermediate

To have or not to have children is one of the most important decisions that someone can make. There are certain factors to take into consideration when choosing between parenting and living a child-free life such as financial security, own interest/desire for having children, and partner’s interest/desire for having children.

Let’s read the article below to find out why views on having children are changing.

https://breakingnewsenglish.com/2106/210621-child-free-1.html

Discussion Questions:

  1. How does having children change someone’s life?
  2. Do you want to have children? If so, when do you want to have them and how many do you want to have?
  3. Why do people decide not to have children?
  4. Do you think it is better to have children when you are older or younger?
  5. Most families in wealthy countries are having fewer and fewer children. Is this a good thing or a bad thing? Why?
  6. Is it a good reason to have children to avoid being lonely later in life?

Sea Slugs Regenerate Bodies After Decapitation

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Some animals have the ability to regrow body parts that have been cut off. In a new study, it reveals an amazing discovery of regeneration where Japanese sea slugs can regrow hearts and whole new bodies after their heads have been cut off.

Read more about the Japanese sea slugs regeneration.

https://www.nbcnews.com/science/science-news/heads-sea-slugs-grow-new-bodies-decapitation-rcna366

Discussion Questions:

  1. Explain the significance of this scientific breakthrough. What are your thoughts on this discovery?
  2. What did you know about sea slugs before reading this article? What have you learned about them so far?
  3. Is it possible to discover the technology to regrow (human) body parts? Why or why not? Discuss. 
  4. If it ever were developed, how would the technology to regrow human body parts impact our lives?
  5. Sea slugs developed the ability to regenerate their body parts to fight off parasites. What do you think about this?

Young People Put Off Driving

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Driving is a rite of passage. They say it is a very important life skill. It can even represent freedom and maturity.

But during the pandemic lockdowns, one activity that was prohibited was traveling. Hence, people had to stop driving. With everything going on now, is it worth it to take lessons given that the prices of lessons and insurance could be rather steep?

Read the article on why young people are putting the brakes to learning how to drive during the pandemic.

https://www.theguardian.com/money/2021/may/22/cost-young-people-learning-to-drive-covid-driving-lessons-insurance

Discussion Questions:

  1. What does driving mean in your life?
  2. How was your experience learning how to drive?
  3. Why are young people putting off learning to drive? Do you think you have the same problem in your country?
  4. What’s the importance of insurance especially for young/novice drivers?
  5. If you were just to learn how to drive now, would you also put it off? Why or why not? 

Influencing Across Cultures

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Culture is defined as a set of shared values, goals, attitudes, and practices that characterize an organization. It is a key component in business and how well people influence others is beneficial in the success of a business.

Let’s learn a few patterns which are useful for those who are working across cultures.

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/influencing-across-cultures-felicity-menzies

Discussion Questions:

  1. What are the things to consider when trying to influence people who come from different cultural backgrounds?
  2. Which influencing techniques will work best when you are working with people from other cultures?
  3. How do you influence people ? Talk about an experience where you had to persuade people to accept your point of view.
  4. Does your job require a lot of influencing skills?
  5. How can we improve our influencing skills?

What Happens When We Stop Exercising?

B2 – Upper Intermediate

There are lots of reasons why we take some time off from working out such as family obligations, work demands, inclement weather, vacation, etc. but there could be consequential changes to our bodies and health if we stop exercising.

Here’s exactly what we can expect to happen to our bodies if we stop exercising. Let’s read the article below.

https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20210603-how-soon-do-we-become-unfit-when-we-stop-exercising

Discussion Questions:

  1. What kind of exercises – if any – do you do and how often do you do them? What effects do they have on you?
  2. Can you tell a physically inactive person from someone who takes care of their physical condition? What are the main differences?
  3. What are some challenges to exercising?
  4. Is it better to workout at home or at the gym?
  5. What are other side effects of stopping exercise that you know of?

New Housing Regulations in the Basque Country

B2 – Upper Intermediate

When the pandemic started, one of the major measures imposed was strict lockdown. This meant people were suddenly confined in their homes for what seems to be months on end. Due to this, the need for open-air elements of a home became more apparent than ever.

Read the article about the new legislation in the Basque Country providing homeowners subsidy for home renovations to add essential element of a house’s livability especially during lockdowns.

https://www.mchmaster.com/news/new-housing-regulations-in-the-basque-country/

Discussion Questions:

  1. What are your thoughts on the new legislation in the Basque Country?
  2. What other areas are you in need of subsidy for to live better during a pandemic or other type of crisis?
  3. Does your house/flat have an open-air space? How livable was your home during the lockdown?
  4. Did you do any renovations/Would you like to do any renovations in your home to make it suitable for lockdowns or other future circumstances where you’d need to be confined in your home? What home improvements were they/would they be?
  5. How do you see home or building designs would change because of our pandemic experience?